New wine package on Coral Princess

[Babs02]

Does this package include the sparkling wines or just the whites & reds.

 

I like a nice sparkling occasionally.

 

Babs

[recia]

Does this package include the sparkling wines or just the whites & reds.

 

I like a nice sparkling occasionally.

 

Babs

 

Yes

[Mork & Mindy]

Hi

 

we just came off the Caribbean Princess where we did 2 x 7 day cruises back to back. They were piloting a different scheme which I think may be aimed at the shorter duration cruises. It is a bit complex but I will give it my best shot!

 

It is called the Somelier's wine card (I think)

Day one you purchase a wine card with 14 punches on it 7 are in the white wine column and 7 in the red. The card costs $84 + 15% gratuity so $96 which means each glass averages at $6 plus gratuity per glass.

 

Each day there is a white and a red wine of the day - I can't remember the reds as I do not drink much red wine but our friends thought the choices were excellent and all of the wines on offer normally retailed at $7 - $8.50 per glass plus gratuity. You can drink all red or all white or mix and match as the mood takes you. The whites included Kendall Jackson Chardonay, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Wente Chardonnay and Fetzer Fume Blanc. There were a couple of choices that I do not care for, However if you did not fancy the wine of the day you could save punches and drink the wine the next day or the next etc. If you are like me and enjoy Nobilo I saved the punches on day one and on day 2 , I could have up to 4 glasses of Nobilo taken in any bar or restaurant/dining room.

 

JoJo and Whinn the bartenders on our cruises in Crooners bar were brilliant and totally knew how to manage the scheme making it just about as flexible as it could be. Not so well trained in the dining rooms with several mistakes made though.

 

It needs a bit of process re-design and a lot more training for the crew but all in all a great alternative if you only want a couple of glasses a day.

 

I do like the sound of the bottle deal for longer cruises though.

Mindy

[hughdm]

Hi

 

we just came off the Caribbean Princess where we did 2 x 7 day cruises back to back. They were piloting a different scheme which I think may be aimed at the shorter duration cruises. It is a bit complex but I will give it my best shot!

 

It is called the Somelier's wine card (I think)

Day one you purchase a wine card with 14 punches on it 7 are in the white wine column and 7 in the red. The card costs $84 + 15% gratuity so $96 which means each glass averages at $6 plus gratuity per glass.

 

Each day there is a white and a red wine of the day - I can't remember the reds as I do not drink much red wine but our friends thought the choices were excellent and all of the wines on offer normally retailed at $7 - $8.50 per glass plus gratuity. You can drink all red or all white or mix and match as the mood takes you. The whites included Kendall Jackson Chardonay, Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, Wente Chardonnay and Fetzer Fume Blanc. There were a couple of choices that I do not care for, However if you did not fancy the wine of the day you could save punches and drink the wine the next day or the next etc. If you are like me and enjoy Nobilo I saved the punches on day one and on day 2 , I could have up to 4 glasses of Nobilo taken in any bar or restaurant/dining room.

 

JoJo and Whinn the bartenders on our cruises in Crooners bar were brilliant and totally knew how to manage the scheme making it just about as flexible as it could be. Not so well trained in the dining rooms with several mistakes made though.

 

It needs a bit of process re-design and a lot more training for the crew but all in all a great alternative if you only want a couple of glasses a day.

 

I do like the sound of the bottle deal for longer cruises though.

Mindy

Huh. We were on your same cruise, and nobody told me about that one! DW doesn't drink wine, so I get it by the bottle and have the dining staff bring it back for subsequent dinners.

[mrsrocster]

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing! I will be on the Coral in JUST under a year.......and will welcome the wine options!

[rotaryscotty]

7 are in the white wine column and 7 in the red. You can drink all red or all white or mix and match as the mood takes you.

Mindy

 

If there is a punch card with 7 white, and 7 red punches, how can you drink all red or all white?:confused:

 

Thanks....

[Astro Flyer]

Thanks OP for sharing this with us! :)

 

Within the last couple of years, a Princess cruise offered a discount depending upon how many bottles were purchased. So possibly this is the latest test to find a program that is mutually beneficial to all of us.

[cruzer71]

Thanks for the wine information. Will be sailing the Coral Dec. 20th and will check this out.

[gator582]

Do they still have a wine package on Coral?

[kool kruiser]

Maybe a good deal or maybe not.. I took a quick look at the new Princess list that I posted earlier. Using the gold package where you can purchase 10 bottles up to $45 for $280

 

White wine..

12 bottles priced from $25 - $28

9 bottles priced from $29 - $35

1 bottle priced from $36 - $45

 

Red Wine

12 bottles priced from $25 - $28

17 bottles priced from $29 - $35

9 bottles priced from $36 - $45

 

Looks like drinking red wine is a better deal with better choices.. Unfortunately for me most of the reds that I prefer are a little above the $45 limit..

My understanding is that you can still order a bottle above the limit and they will just charge the difference. So, for example, you could buy a $50 bottle with the $45 package and pay the extra $5

[5326jan]

My understanding is that you can still order a bottle above the limit and they will just charge the difference. So, for example, you could buy a $50 bottle with the $45 package and pay the extra $5

 

They actually will credit your account $45 and then charge you the $50+gratuity. If you were going to be a stickler, you could check to make sure they add back the gratuity on the $45 bottle, because the total package does have the gratuity added on. Either way it's not a problem. I got the silver package and many times ordered a bottle that was $32 instead of the $28 limit. I only drink white, so it's easier to find decent wines for lower price. :)

[IECalCruiser]

They actually will credit your account $45 and then charge you the $50+gratuity. If you were going to be a stickler, you could check to make sure they add back the gratuity on the $45 bottle, because the total package does have the gratuity added on. Either way it's not a problem. I got the silver package and many times ordered a bottle that was $32 instead of the $28 limit. I only drink white, so it's easier to find decent wines for lower price. :)

On the Island, if we bought a $38 bottle of wine we were charged just $38 and then credited the $29 value of our Silver Package for a total cost of $9. No gratuity was involved.

[gingera]

I pay $10 for Nobillo S. Blanc at home and our favorite Kendall Jackson red (Cabernet) from our local store is about $16.

Our favorite sparkling, Korbel is $12 or $13....

 

Are these wines offered on ship?

[IECalCruiser]

I pay $10 for Nobillo S. Blanc at home and our favorite Kendall Jackson red (Cabernet) from our local store is about $16.

Our favorite sparkling, Korbel is $12 or $13....

 

Are these wines offered on ship?

Nobilo, Regional Collection Sauvignon Blanc - $32

Kendall-Jackson, Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - $32

Korbel, Brut - $25

[paul929207]

I know they had both Nobillo and Kendall Jackson, but not sure whether they had your type

[melody hounddog]

I would definitely buy the 12 bottle packages for my next two cruises if available. Keeps things simple.

[IECalCruiser]

I would definitely buy the 12 bottle packages for my next two cruises if available. Keeps things simple.

Packages are only available on cruises on 10 days or more.

[paul929207]

Packages are only available on cruises on 10 days or more.

Actually, the package is available on all cruises of 10 days or more that I am not on. In the last year or so, I have been on 7 cruises on the Ocean, Crown and Grand Princesses. All were 12 days or more. Not one had the wine package.

[melody hounddog]

Packages are only available on cruises on 10 days or more.

 

All my trips are over 10 days. Don't like the short ones. I just hope that it is available. Seems like you can't predict whether or not it will be.

[IECalCruiser]

All my trips are over 10 days. Don't like the short ones. I just hope that it is available. Seems like you can't predict whether or not it will be.

That is a source of frustration. Golden, Island, Coral, Diamond, Sapphire, Pacific and Caribbean appear to offer the packages. Crown, Emerald, Star and Grand do not. The Ocean and Ruby have offered sometimes. Unfortunately, past performance is no guarantee of the future ;)

[happy cruzer]

The package that uses the slips that you turn in to order wine sounds like Carnival's wine package which we have always thought a pretty good value. They offer a different versions even for very short cruises.

[melody hounddog]

That is a source of frustration. Golden, Island, Coral, Diamond, Sapphire, Pacific and Caribbean appear to offer the packages. Crown, Emerald, Star and Grand do not. The Ocean and Ruby have offered sometimes. Unfortunately, past performance is no guarantee of the future ;)

 

Thanks for that!

 

And wouldn't you know it, my next two cruises are on the Star and Ruby!

[oskidunker]

Do they punch your card and just charge you the difference?

[IECalCruiser]

Do they punch your card and just charge you the difference?

On the Island, they punched your card, charged you for the more expensive wine and credited the value of your package (Silver - $29 or Gold - $45) to your account.

[IECalCruiser]

That is a source of frustration. Golden, Island, Coral, Diamond, Sapphire, Pacific and Caribbean appear to offer the packages. Crown, Emerald, Star and Grand do not. The Ocean and Ruby have offered sometimes. Unfortunately, past performance is no guarantee of the future ;)

I need to correct my previous post :eek:

 

Golden, Island, Coral, Sapphire, Pacific and Caribbean appear to offer the packages. Crown, Emerald and Grand do not. The Ocean, Diamond, Star, and Ruby have offered sometimes.

 

The "reasons" given for not offering the packages on 10 day or longer cruises have varied from "lack of sufficient wine inventory", "they kept running out of stock", "no wine sommelier was on board" and " we used to offer that, but no more" :confused::confused::confused: